1 Remain calm and collected. Do not resist arrest or become violent, even if force is used. You don’t want to prejudice your chances to be released on bail

2. You have the right to be treated with dignity and to remain silent Pay attention to whether you are informed of your rights (if at all) and other things said by the arresting officer.. You must however provide your full names. You have the right to phone one person (A friend/relative or Attorney).

3. You may not refuse to provide a blood sample. The district surgeon, a registered nurse, or prison medical officer will take a blood specimen within 2 hours of arrest and submit to the state laboratory for analysis.

4. Follow the instructions of the arresting officer. Chances are good that you will be kept at the police station until you have sobered up, and you may be released with a warning to appear before court within 48 hours. You may also be kept behind bars.

5. It is important to note the details and the name of the police station you are in, the case number for your case, the name of the investigating officer. Your attorney will require the info.

Considering that 65% of road accidents are related to alcohol abuse, let’s hope South African’s are responsible and put safety first this Easter weekend.

As Easter weekend approaches, South African’s will make their yearly migration to holiday destinations to spend time with their families and loved ones. While many will be enjoying the traditional pickled fish, chocolate eggs and hot cross buns, others will lose their lives on the road.

According to the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) the Easter road death toll dropped from a staggering 241 in 2013, to only 193 in 2014. This is an indication that great headway has been made to reduce the road death toll in South Africa, unfortunately speed and alcohol remain the main reasons for road accidents. It is estimated that around 330 motorists were arrested over last year’s Easter weekend for drunken driving alone.

Wandile Dumakude, legal expert at LIPCO Law for All, explains that many South African’s think they know their drinking limits or have quick fix solutions to sober up, but these limits usually do not measure up against those set by law or by the human body. “A person is over the legal limit if his breath alcohol content is in excess of 0.24mg per 1,000ml or his blood alcohol concentration in excess of 0.05g per 100ml. The rule of thumb for any motorist is a maximum of 1 unit per alcohol per hour. Biologically the human body can only process one unit every hour, despite drinking lots of water, strong black coffee or taking a cold shower. These tricks do little to help sober a person up,” says Dumakude.

But what does this mean in layman’s terms? Dumakude explains that “a 75ml glass of your favourite wine will amount to about one unit. But be cautious, because that means a 250ml glass will amount to 3, 3 units. A spirit cooler or beer amounts to roughly about 1,25 units, while a 25ml tot of whiskey or brandy to a unit. Cocktails and shooters are a bit more tricky and dangerous, as one glass could easily amount to 2-4 units.”

Many South African’s are aware of the fact that many drivers are let off the hook due to unreliable blood alcohol specimens, and fail to comprehend the seriousness of the crime. If found guilty, a person faces 6 years imprisonment or a R120 000 fine, a suspended driver’s licence and criminal record. That is not even mentioning the repercussions should someone die as a result of a road accident. “The real reason people should not drive under the influence is the fact that they might cause the death of someone. You stand to face a charge of culpable homicide, and prosecutors are increasingly accusing motorists of murder.” Dumakude warns motorists.

STAMFORD, Conn., October 23, 2014 — Self-driving and autonomous vehicles, in particular, are much closer to reality than most people and businesses realise, according to Gartner, Inc. Over the next six years, self-aware vehicles will emerge first that are increasingly also able to autonomously sense, interpret, decide, act and communicate with other automobiles, infrastructures, businesses, people and organisations. As this self-awareness matures into the next decade, vehicles will become progressively smarter and autonomous, leading to the most fundamental change in transportation, mobility and society.

“At the core of this change is not just the accumulation of hardware, software and data communication technologies,” said Thilo Koslowski, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner. “Gartner’s Maverick research finds that the real impact of self-driving vehicles is the disruption of our existing personal and societal beliefs and the reorganisation of established business assumptions in many industries. At the same time, self-driving vehicles will enable radically new digital business opportunities, such as personal delivery services that utilise a consumer’s driverless vehicle to transport packages between two businesses.”

Gartner’s Maverick analysis is designed to spark new, unconventional insights. Maverick analysis is unconstrained by Gartner’s typical broad consensus-formation process to deliver breakthrough, innovative and disruptive ideas from the company’s research incubator to help organisations get ahead of the mainstream and take advantage of trends and insights that could impact IT strategy and the wider organisation.

“The benefits of self-driving vehicles for individuals and the automotive industry are significant, and range from accident avoidance, to optimised energy and traffic utilisation, to improved emission compliance,” said Mr Koslowski. “It is critical to note that all of these benefits can be realised at meaningful levels even only with the realisation of the first stage of sophistication for self-driving vehicles: automated vehicles. However, only autonomous and driverless vehicles are capable of achieving the fundamental disruption at the societal and business levels that will permanently impact our beliefs and replace existing business assumptions with new ones.”

According to a June 2014 Gartner survey of over 6,000 consumers, nearly two-fifths of US and German vehicle owners are interested in purchasing a fully or partially autonomous vehicle the next time they shop for a vehicle. Equally, as many vehicles owners would even consider giving up traditional vehicle ownership for having on-demand access to getting an autonomous vehicle whenever they need one.

Autonomous and driverless vehicles still have many obstacles to overcome before they meet all consumer, industry and legal requirements, but despite such challenges, the societal benefits from autonomous vehicles could outweigh potential disadvantages and concerns. Furthermore, the potential of fundamental business disruptions from autonomous and driverless vehicles will motivate industry leaders and newcomers to expand research and development activities, and to dramatically advance the progress of the technologies over the next two decades.

“The evolution of the self-driving vehicle from automated to autonomous vehicles is already underway, and significant investments are being made by individual companies and the entire automotive industry to accelerate the pace of innovation and do actual prototyping on public roads,” said Mr Koslowski. “We predict that by 2016, three companies will have announced concrete plans for upcoming automobile launches that will offer autonomous vehicle technology.”

By 2025, vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication will be available in approximately 30 per cent of passenger vehicles in use in mature markets, which will increase the reliability and accelerate the rollout of autonomous vehicles. By 2030, autonomous-driving-capable vehicles will represent approximately 25 per cent of the passenger vehicle population in use in mature markets.

ALL KZN driving schools are advised to attend the launch of a new regulation stipulating that instructors have to undergo the same training as examiners.

Mphakamseni Mthethwa, Director of Empangeni-based Mthethwa’s Driving School and Department of Transport (DOT) task team member, said the amended bill is aimed at alleviating the high rate of road accidents in the province.

‘Following a spate of deliberations and workshops with the provincial driving school sector and subsequent engagements with legal teams and DOT, a task team has compiled a comprehensive Driving School Regulatory Framework for KZN,’ he said.

The National Road Traffic Amendment Bill implemented this year aims to have all driving school owners and instructors undergo the exact same training as DOT examiners in the hope of regulating the industry and to prohibit the operation of unregistered and ungraded driving schools and instructors.

‘There are one million accidents per year, 114 every hour and every 37 minutes someone dies on our roads. The average duration of an accident is 2.7 seconds, but the aftermath of that is lifelong,’ said Road Accident Fund CEO Dr Eugene Watson.

Lulaway Smart Recruitment have driver jobs available for Code 8 and Code 10 Licensed drivers with PDP. Gauteng’s Department of Social Development has recognised these barriers to entry, as well as our company’s efforts to rectify these inefficiencies, and have decided thrown their full support behind the Lulaway project. They hosted an event in June 2012, where many business leaders were invited and asked to invest in this project by using Lulaway for their entry level and semi skilled recruiting.

The response was overwhelming and combined with the Department opening of 10 Luluway Job Centres and commitment to open another 10 in remote areas, it means we can really begin to bring a lot more valuable employment opportunities and support structures to areas deprived of the necessary technologies.

Need to escape the gridlock of rush hour traffic from Monday to Friday? A weekend away is probably just what you need to recharge the batteries. We’re talking lazy afternoon braais, pool at the local pub, drinks under the stars and hey, some new gear wouldn’t hurt either.

Mr Price have an epic collection of winter menswear featuring long-sleeved tees, fleece pullovers for easy layering, and sherpa-lined jackets – ideal for those chilly days there’s loads of printed and check shirts that’ll take you straight from the office and onto the road in style. If it’s denim you’re after, you’ll find jeans with distressed details and paneled button-ups with worn-in washes.

Just about ready to hit the dusty trail? Then, you’ll want to enter this! Mr Price are offering you the chance to win a weekend getaway for you and three mates. Don’t forget the pre-trip inspection

Head to the Mr P Facebook page and let them know if you’d prefer a ‘Berg, beach or bush experience. No matter which one you choose, one thing’s for sure – this will be an adventure to remember.

The first thing most learner drivers usually ask the driving schools here is, “What do your driving lessons cost?” Although there are many factors responsible for the cost of driving lessons we think the petrol price has the biggest impact. South Africans were paying 339% less for petrol ten years ago. In August 2004, unleaded fuel on the reef was priced at R4.00 a litre, with diesel at R3.29. Look at how the petrol price has increased over the last 10 years in South Africa in this infographic sponsored by Cars.co.za:

Call for an Expression of Interest from any driving school owner and/or instructor who wishes to participate in a one-day Driving School Summit to be held in Gauteng on 22 March 2013.

Send the following details to the contact details below:

Name of Driving School

Name of Owner/Instructor

Province/Town

Business/Home Telephone No.

Cellphone No.

E-mail Address

Fax No.

Note: It is not necessary to attach any certificates to this form.

All interested persons should complete this form and forward it to the contact persons listed below, by no later than 5 March 2013. An invitation with the venue for the Summit will then be forwarded. Attendance of the Summit is on a first come first serve basis. This is a re-advertisement and interested persons should express their interest again. Only one person per driving school will be accommodated.

With the December holidays on our doorstep, Drive More Safely NPO is taking road safety one step further. On a daily basis we urge road users to adhere to the rules of the road, buckle up, not use their cell phone while driving, not to drink and drive, not to speed, etc, but have we thought of the dangers when a vehicle breaks down.

Together with the Automobile Association we are hosting a “Mechanical competency course” to know your vehicle better. This will equip you with the basic knowledge of how a vehicle operates and we believe that through this our road users will understand the dangers when they are on our roads. This course will also help understand how bad driving effects your vehicle. With the high price of fuel, you need to understand your vehicle to get the best performance from it and still be safe and responsible.

Research showed that 30% of road crashes are due to mechanical failure. If we can equip our road users with knowledge, we can save some of the +/- 18000 lives we loose on our roads yearly. The course will cover the following areas:

The course content is:

Engine’s basic’s

Braking system basic’s

Steering system basic’s

Wheels and tyres

Occupant Restraint systems

Basic vehicle maintenance

Pre-trip inspections

Can you really miss this?

Venue: Drive More Safely
63 Chasmay road (Living Way college campus)
Sunnydale
FISH HOEK
Date: 15th September 2012
Time: 9h00 to 15h30
Price: FREE (donation towards the NPO)
A light lunch will be served as well as tea/coffee.

If we are serious about road safety, we need to equip ourselves with all the knowledge and training we can get. Contact Drive More Safely here

New Technology Helps You Get Your Driver’s Licence Before The Law Changes

Cape Town, South Africa. In proposed amendments to the National Road Traffic Act getting your drivers license, which already is a stressful and time consuming process, will take up to 12 months longer. New technology developed by iDRIVE.co.za now simplifies the process, enabling you to pass your license before the laws change.

After years of research and testing the new system is designed to provide learner drivers with all the training, resources and qualified driving instructors required to become a licensed driver.

With over 100 verified instructors, extensively covering the Western Cape, Gauteng and more recently Limpopo, iDRIVE.co.za claims to be the biggest digital driving school in South Africa. “I am amazed by the 1000’s of learner drivers using the service every week,” says Rafiq Phillips, founder of iDRIVE.co.za “Learner drivers are sending hundreds of SMS and email messages directly to the driving schools. Knowing that we only connect them with qualified driving instructors ensures that the education and training they receive will increase the chances of them passing the first time, alleviating the backlog at testing stations.: According to Phillips it doesn’t end there though. “The system has been designed to scale and cater for any driving instructor anywhere in South Africa. I believe that road safety will be positively impacted by all that use our new and improved system – making the road safer for all South Africans. No matter when or how the legislation changes we’ll always strive to assist learners in passing their drivers licenses with the right help they can be sure of.”

According to World Wide Worx’s study about Internet Access in SA 2012, “6,02-million people have access to the internet on computer, laptop and tablet.” This is the audience iDRIVE.co.za has been designed for.

Ben Grobler, owner of My Driving School and one of the first members of iDRIVE.co.za agrees , “ln my experience clients have over the past few years become more e-inclined. This includes internet usage, Facebook, smartphone apps etc. We get a lot of clients from the internet and it escalates every year. iDRIVE.co.za has a good visibility on Google which is to my driving school’s advantage. I receive contacts from iDRIVE.co.za on a daily basis.”

Thanks to award-winning technological and entrepreneurial innovation iDRIVE.co.za has helped countless driving instructors to grow their businesses while providing help to thousands of driver’s on South Africa’s roads today.

In proposed amendments to the National Road Traffic Act that were announced in a Government Gazette on 8 June 2012 the following new requirements could come into effect when obtaining your driver’s license in South Africa.

Provisional License

One you pass your K53 test you’ll be granted a temporary (provisional) license which will be valid for one year. You will then get a ‘real’ license if you meet the following criteria:

The applicant must be on probation for a period not exceeding 12 months.

You must submit a duly completed provisional driving licence logbook, signed by you and by an authorised officer.

Hold a valid provisional driving licence that is not suspended.

You must always display a red letter P at the back of the vehicle, and it must be clearly visible – and the colour clearly distinguishable – from a distance of 20 metre behind the vehicle.

Suspension of provisional driving licence

Your Provisional Driving Licence will be suspended for 24 months if, within 12 months of obtaining the licence, you have:

committed six traffic offences

been found guilty in respect of driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor, or a drug having a narcotic effect, or with alcohol in your blood or breath

exceeded the prescribed speed limit

carried more than the permitted number of passengers for which the seating capacity allows

operated a motor vehicle between midnight and 4 am

not complete the provisional driving licence logbook on all trips undertaken within a minimum driving time of 60 hours

iDRIVE.co.za welcomes any proposed laws that will make roads safer for all South Africans. If you prefer to get your driver’s license before these new proposed laws come into effect now is the time to find a quality driving school to help you through the process. Read more about the proposed laws at the GavinHoole.ws.

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